Christian bashing

 

The_Death of Stephen
 by Gustave_Doré

Christians are lambasted these days as idiots and buffoons. They are ridiculed, laughed at, and mocked. In some countries, Christians are persecuted, hunted, imprisoned, and executed for their beliefs. Christian bashing has become vogue among people who fear the truth about God, life, and death and feel the need to protect their own belief system or religion. It is easier to rant and rave and drown out anyone who threatens your religion or lifestyle than it is to admit they’re wrong. But let’s be honest, the unbelieving world is the last that should be throwing stones at Christians because their vitriol is filled with the same arrogance, malice, and lack of knowledge they accuse Christians of.

Christians all over the world bemoan these attacks and claim that it is getting worse. They point to the 'great falling away’ and wonder, like Elijah, if they are the last generation to hold onto the faith. Elijah was to learn that there were still many who believed. When these attacks come we, like Elijah, feel alone and isolated but take heart that we are not.

Heb 13:5b … for he hath said, I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee.

Jesus fed five thousand men plus women and children. A short time later only one hundred and twenty remained cowering in an upper room. More than 97% had fallen away. Most of the followers of Jesus had left Him.

John.6:53  Then Jesus says to them, Truly, truly, I say to you, Unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man, and drink His blood, you do not have life in yourselves. 

John.6:54  Whoever partakes of My flesh and drinks My blood has eternal life, and I will raise him up at the last day. 

John.6:66  From this time many of His disciples went back into the things behind, and walked no more with Him.

His family said He was mad and the authorities, both spiritual and secular, were baying for His blood. Yet still, he said, 'I have overcome the world’. Like us when we feel rejected and persecuted, in His extreme moment of sacrifice, hanging on a cross for all to see, Jesus called out:

Mat 27:46 And about the ninth hour Jesus cried with a loud voice, saying, Eli, Eli, lama sabachthani? that is to say, My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me?

Yet three days later He assured His disciples that they would never have to endure the world and its hate, alone: Mat 28:20b…lo, I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world. Amen.

Amen means so be it. Thayer has an interesting definition of the word Amen.

Strongs #G281: 2a) At the beginning of a discourse - surely, truly, of a truth

2b)at the end - so it is, so be it, may it be fulfilled. It was a custom, which passed over from the synagogues to the Christian assemblies, that when he who had read or discoursed, had offered up solemn prayer to God, the others responded Amen, and thus made the substance of what was uttered their own.(Thayer’s Greek Definitions. Published 1886, 1889. Public Domain.)

Image by Gordon Johnson from Pixabay

By adding ‘amen’ Jesus is confirming that it will be so. He is with us no matter how hard the world shouts and screams. When we say it, we are claiming it as a truth in our lives.

Psalm.2:1 Why do the heathen rage, and the people imagine a vain thing?

Psalm.2:2a The kings of the earth set themselves, and the rulers take counsel together, against the LORD, and against his anointed,...

Psalm.2:4 He that sitteth in the heavens shall laugh: the Lord shall have them in derision.

The world ranted and raved, persecuted, and murdered His people, yet the Lord laughed at their efforts to silence and destroy Him. What are we to think of all this? Has the Lord stopped laughing?

Heb 13:8 Jesus Christ the same yesterday, and to day, and forever.

We do not need to hide and be silent when attacked because we are not alone. Take courage in the knowledge that the unbeliever has a purpose in your life and it is not only for spiritual growth.

Eccl.2:26: but to the sinner he giveth travail, to gather and to heap up, that he may give to him that is good before God.

Even if the unbeliever claims no faith in God, even if he tries to run from God, even if he curses and rages against the faithful, he will always be in God's service and that service is to collect as much as he can to give to the righteous, in other words he is still working for you.

Prov. 13:22...and the wealth of the sinner is laid up for the just.

The peace of God be yours. God bless you.